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Katrice was in a shop in Germany when she dissapeared Credit: Lee Family

A County Durham woman has been charged with harassing the family of a toddler who went missing more than 30 years ago.

Donna Wright, 33, from Hillside Court, Spennymoor, is alleged to have used Facebook to send messages to Katrice Lee's family.

The little girl went missing on her second birthday in 1981 from a shop near a British army base in Paderborn, Germany.

Katrice's mother Sharon, from Gosport, Hampshire, and father Richard Lee, from Hartlepool, believe she was snatched and may still be alive.

Following a hearing at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court Donna Wright was remained on bail on the condition that she does not make contact with Katrice's family, look at the missing girl's Facebook page or contact the page's administrators.

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The family of a toddler who went missing from a British Army barracks in Germany more than thirty years ago say they've just had an apology - and an admission there were failings in the initial investigation into her disappearance.

Katrice Lee from Hartlepool was two when she vanished in 1981. Her parents have always argued that the military police were slow to react.

Her father, Richard, says although he welcomes the apology, he feels a public inquiry is the only way the family will discover the truth.

The family of a toddler who went missing from a British Army barracks in Germany more than thirty years ago say they have had an apology from the Royal Military Police and an admission that there were failings in the initial investigation into her disappearance.

Katrice Lee from Hartlepool was two-years-old when she vanished in 1981.

Her father says the apparent apology came during a private meeting between her mother, sister and the head of the Military Police.

A family from Teesside are hoping to spread awareness about the disappearance of Katrice Lee by marching to Downing Street today.

Katrice's family will be joined by friends and members of Katrice's father's former regiment, the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars, as they march from St James Park to the PM's number 10 residence.

Katrice Lee disappeared on November 28th in 1981 in Paderborn, Germany, when she was two years old.

The family of the missing girl hope that the march will lead to renewed coverage of the case and will generate new lines of enquiry in the search for Katrice, as they believe that mistakes were made in the original investigation into the toddler's disappearance.

On 28 November 1981, Katrice Lee was in an army store in Germany with her mother who was buying food for her daughter's 2nd birthday party later that day.

Katrice disappeared from her mother's sight and has not been seen since. Ever since, her family have been highly critical of the investigation by the Royal Military Police.

Tonight in the House of Commons, Hartlepool MP (speaking on behalf of Katrice's father Richard) said the investigation had been "incompetent, botched and insensitive". He said: "My constituent has suffered the anguish of his daughter going missing every single day for 31 years.

"That anguish is deeper with the knowledge that the investigation has been botched from the start. Incompetence has continued for many years, and we are no further forward in finding out what happend to little Katrice.

Defence Minister Mark Francois MP promised the family a face-to-face meeting with the Head of the Royal Military Police to question him on the progress of the reopened investigation. He added that there would be no cover up of previous errors made in the original inquiry.

He said: "I understand and support the unwavering determination of Katrice's parents to uncover the truth of what happened, and I can assure them that there will be no attempt to cover up any past failings.

"I am happy to repeat previous assurances given to the family that the Royal Military Police will be open about any failings that are identified, and that when the time is right we will look again at the issue of disclosure.

"I also know that the Provo Marshal Army, the Chief Officer of the Royal Military Police - Brigadier Bill Warren - has indicated that at an appropriate point in his teams work, he will ask a civillian police force to review the entire investigation."